Many of us depend on pain relievers in easing headache. Yes, they offer instant relief but too much of it can do harm than good.
Health statistics shows that women are three times likely to experience headache than men. Hormone fluctuations contribute in messing up women’s cranial nerve endings. Before headache attacks you and ruins your day, take control of the following head pounding triggers. Doing this may help prevent headache from sneaking on your system.
Trigger: Strong scents from perfume and fresh flowers
- Strong odors even the most pleasant ones can prompt pain in over 40 percent of migraine-prone people, according to Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain. Certain smells can inflame blood vessels in the nasal passages and activate nerves in the part of the brain that processes sensory information.
Take control: Stay away from strong scented colognes, perfumes ore even other skin and hair products such as hair spray, deodorants and soap, as these products can cause temple trauma.
- Use fragrance-free products for weeks then reintroduce one scent at a time to see which scent triggers your headache or migraine attacks.
Trigger: Excessive intake of caffeine products
- Well, not all people can be coffee lovers. Others find them culprit for their recurring headaches. Drinking too much coffee in a day can cause recurring or rebound headaches.
Take control: Less caffeine, less headache
- If you cannot tolerate drinking caffeinated products, limit caffeine intake to 200 milligrams a day to help you fend off headache. Don’t think that only coffee is the caffeinated product that can prompt your headache. Chocolate, soda, can contribute to your trigger, too. Bear in mind that too much of something is bad. That holds true with caffeinated products.
Trigger: Skipped meals
- Did you know that skipping breakfast, lunch or dinner could cause change in the body system because your blood sugar drops. So stop the bad habit of skipping meals as this vicious habit contributes to unbalanced hormones that signal the brain’s cortex to emit waves that needle those sensitive nerves.
Take control: Eat small, frequent meals
- Try eating in small, frequent meals to keep you satiated. Eat before you feel hunger pangs. When you are hungry, turn away from sugary products because this will put your blood sugar on a roller coaster ride. Drink plenty of water to keep you hydrated as dehydration can also elicit headache. Always keep almonds and low-fat granola in handy so you will have healthier food choices to consume throughout the day.
Trigger: Leftover foods
- High protein foods contain natural chemical called tyramine. When the level of tyramine rises in time, too much of it can affect the brain’s blood vessels. Caution: Most aged cheese like blue cheese is rich in tyramine.
Take control: The fresher the food, the better
- If food is the trigger to your head pounding pain, then better eat freshly cooked foods. Since women are prone to such triggers than men, nix old foods like aged cheese. Opt for fresher ones like cream or cottage cheese. Do not leave protein-rich leftovers in warm areas because they are susceptible to tyramine growth.
Trigger: Too tight hairstyle
- Donning too tight hairstyle such as ponytail or braids can pull your hair and strain tissues in your scalp. This activates the kind of muscle and nerve tension, causing headache.
Take control: Loosen up your style
- If you sense that your too tight hairstyle is the culprit for your recurring headache, take it easy. Opt for a hairstyle that would not stress your scalp. Go for chic messy bun or less stressful low ponytail if you need to wear your hair pulled back.
Trigger: Gadget use
- Too much use of high tech gadgets such as tablet, laptop, smartphones or TV can bring pain to your brain’s blood vessels. Most gadgets emit glare that stimulates cranial nerves to release inflammatory neurotransmitters or brain pain. Likewise, slouching in front of your pc can also add to headache-inducing muscle tension.
Take control: Protect the screen
- Screen protection can lessen glare that your gadgets emit. Limit your gadget time especially at night to prevent sleepiness and headache, the next day. When you use your PC or laptop, observe proper posture.
Trigger: Lack of sleep or too much sleep
- Getting insufficient amount of sleep can cause tomorrow’s headache. Lack of sleep triggers migraines or occasional migraine to become frequent. When you are stressed, you cannot fall asleep, making arousal proteins occur at levels that are high enough to trigger pain. If you think sleep deprivation only gives you migraine and headaches, the same happens when you sleep too much.
Take control: Follow a sleep routine
- Sleep routine is essential especially for people who experience migraine. People with migraine need to go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time daily. If you wake up at 5 am during weekdays, you need to do the same on weekends. It is recommended to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep every day.
